JP2024052515A - Operation device, robot system, manufacturing method, control method, control program and recording medium - Google Patents

Abstract

To improve operability of a teaching pendant.SOLUTION: An operation device can communicate with a robot controller and can acquire a depressed state of an enable switch. The operation device displays a virtual robot corresponding to the robot in a virtual environment, can operate the robot or the virtual robot by operating the operation device, and includes a determination part which determines the depressed state of the enable switch. The operation device includes a processing part capable of giving a switching instruction between a state of operating the robot and a state of operating the virtual robot according to the determination of the depressed state of the enable switch by the determination part.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 7

Description

The present invention relates to an operating device.

As hardware becomes more sophisticated, the number of teaching pendants (hereinafter referred to as TPs) equipped with simulator functions is increasing. TPs equipped with simulator functions require the ability to switch between simulation mode and real machine mode. To switch between simulation mode and real machine mode, a mode change switch such as a button on a GUI (Graphical User Interface) or a physical switch is used. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a configuration in which a mode change switch is provided to switch between normal mode and simulation mode.

JP 2001-255906 A

In the embodiment of Patent Document 1, in order to operate the actual robot, it is necessary to press and operate the enable switch. In other words, after switching to normal mode with the mode change switch, the enable switch is further pressed to operate the actual robot. In this case, if the mode change is forgotten and an attempt is made to operate the actual robot by pressing the enable switch, the actual robot cannot be operated.

Therefore, when there is mode switching in addition to operating the enable switch, there is a risk that the operability of the TP may be reduced.

Therefore, the present invention aims to improve the operability of the teaching pendant.

The means for solving the above problem is an operation device capable of communicating with a robot controller that controls a robot and acquiring the pressed state of an enable switch, which displays a virtual robot corresponding to the robot in a virtual environment and allows the robot or the virtual robot to be operated by operating the operation device, has a determination unit that determines the pressed state of the enable switch, and has a processing unit that can instruct switching between a state of operating the robot and a state of operating the virtual robot depending on the determination of the pressed state of the enable switch by the determination unit.

Provides technology that is advantageous in improving the operability of teaching pendants.

FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram of a robot system. FIG. 2 is a diagram showing the configuration of a teaching pendant. FIG. 13 is a diagram showing a modified example of the teaching pendant. FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating the relationship between a robot model and an actual robot. FIG. 2 is a block diagram of a control unit. FIG. 2 is a block diagram of a teaching pendant. FIG. 13 is a diagram showing a teaching pendant provided with a mode changeover switch. FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an operation flow of the robot. FIG. 13 is a diagram showing a state in which a user presses an enable switch. 1A and 1B are diagrams showing the robot before and after changing its posture. 11 is a schematic diagram of an operation check performed by an operation check unit. FIG. FIG. 13 is a schematic diagram of audio confirmation.

Below, a mode for carrying out the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. However, the mode described below is one embodiment of the invention, and the present invention is not limited to this. Common configurations will be described with mutual reference to multiple drawings, and descriptions of configurations with common reference numerals will be omitted as appropriate. Items with the same name but different names can be distinguished by adding "Number 0", such as first item, second item, etc.

First Embodiment
1 is an explanatory diagram of a robot system 100 according to this embodiment. The robot system 100 includes a robot 101 as an actual robot, a control device 102 that controls the robot 101, and a teaching pendant 103 (TP103) that gives operation instructions to the robot 101 via the control device 102. The robot 101 is used for purposes such as manufacturing and transporting goods. The robot 101 is positioned on, for example, a stand or a floor surface (not shown).

In this embodiment, the robot body transports the grasped workpiece and assembles it onto another workpiece. This allows an industrial product or item to be manufactured. Note that the trajectory data may be calculated by a simulator.

The control device 102 controls the robot 101 based on the motion information of the robot 101. The control device 102 acquires the operation information of the TP 103 and generates motion information of the robot 101.

The robot 101 is a manipulator. The robot 101 is fixed to a stand. Around the robot 101, for example, a tray on which a workpiece, which is an object to be transported, is placed, and another workpiece to which the workpiece is to be assembled is placed. The workpiece is grasped by the robot 101 and transported to the position of the other workpiece, where the workpiece and the other workpiece are assembled to manufacture an article, etc.

The robot 101 and the control device 102 are connected by wires so that they can communicate with each other. The robot 101 has a robot arm and a robot hand, which is an example of an end effector. The robot arm is a vertically articulated robot arm. The robot hand is supported by the robot arm. The robot hand is attached to a predetermined portion of the robot arm, for example, the tip of the robot arm. The robot hand is configured to be able to grasp a workpiece.

The robot arm according to this embodiment has multiple links connected by multiple rotationally driven joints (for example, six joints such as J1 to J6). The base of the robot arm is fixed to a stand. Each joint of the robot arm is provided with a motor as a drive source for driving each of these joints, a reducer, and an encoder as a position detection means for detecting the rotation angle of the motor. The installation position and output method of the encoder are not important. A robot hand is attached to the tip of the robot arm. By driving the joints of the robot arm, the robot 101 can be put into various postures.

Figure 2 is a configuration diagram of TP103 according to this embodiment. TP103 is composed of a computer, and functions as a simulator in addition to being a teaching device. In this embodiment, TP103 generates teaching data by computer simulation, i.e., offline teaching, and performs a simulation to confirm operation in advance. The teaching data generated by TP103 is output to the control device 102. The method of outputting the teaching data to the control device 102 is not particularly limited. For example, the teaching data generated by TP103 may be output to the control device 102 by wired or wireless communication, or via a storage device (not shown).

TP103 is equipped with an enable switch (ESW) 104. The enable switch 104 is a switch provided for operating the robot 101, and while the enable switch 104 is pressed, the robot 101 is controlled so that it cannot be moved by a user's instruction from the TP103. Conversely, when the enable switch 104 is not pressed, the robot 101 is controlled so that it can be moved by a user's instruction from the TP103. The enable switch 104 is a three-position switch with a first stage, a second stage, and a third stage. In this embodiment, of the three positions, the enable switch 104 is off (not pressed) in the first stage and the third stage, and the enable switch 104 is on (pressed) in the second stage. The enable switch 104 may be provided externally to the TP103, as long as the TP103 can acquire the pressed state of the enable switch 104. When teaching is performed, the robot 101 can be operated while the enable switch 104 is on. The first, second, and third stages of the enable switch 104 correspond to when it is not pressed, when it is pressed halfway, and when it is pressed all the way. Furthermore, if the enable switch 104 is turned off while the robot 101 is operating, the current to the motor that powers the robot 101 is cut off. This makes it possible to instantly stop the robot 101 even if the robot 101 moves unintentionally or if the user operates it. This also ensures the safety of the user.

Also, as shown in FIG. 3, the enable switch 104 may not be provided on the TP 103, but may be provided as a device 109 independent of the TP 103. The device 109 is provided with the enable switch 104 and an emergency stop button, and exists independent of the TP 103. This reduces the risk that, when a user uses the TP 103 equipped with the enable switch 104, the user may accidentally press the enable switch 104 and use the TP 103 to operate the robot 101. This makes it possible to further improve safety for the user. In this case, the TP 103 may be wirelessly connected to the control device 102.

Here, it has been explained that the enable switch 104 is off in the first and third stages, and on in the second stage, but various functions can be added to each stage. For example, after the enable switch 104 is on in the second stage, the robot 101 can be operated without continuing to press the enable switch 104 by moving to the third stage. In this case, when it is desired to switch to the simulation mode, the enable switch 104 can be pressed again to switch to the first stage, and the enable switch 104 can be turned off. In addition, by moving the enable switch 104 to the second stage, the posture of the virtual robot 106 can be adjusted to that of the robot 101, and by moving it to the third stage, the posture of the robot 101 can be adjusted to that of the virtual robot 106.

The TP 103 is equipped with a display unit 105, and is capable of displaying a virtual environment in which a virtual robot 106 is displayed on the display unit 105. The display unit 105 is configured by layering a so-called touch panel on a display for displaying the image.

In this specification, robot 101 refers to a robot capable of operating in real mode, and virtual robot 106 refers to a robot capable of operating in simulation mode displayed on display unit 105 of TP 103.

The TP103 is equipped with an emergency stop button. When the robot 101 is changing its posture based on the taught motion and is about to come into contact with a surrounding object, pressing the emergency stop button will stop the robot 101. This can reduce danger when using the robot 101.

Figure 4 is a diagram showing robot models 120 and 121 displayed in a virtual environment. One of robot models 120 and 121 is a robot being simulated, and the other is the posture of robot 101 displayed in the virtual environment. For example, robot model 120 is a robot being simulated, and robot model 121 is the posture of robot 101 displayed in the virtual environment. To improve visibility for the user, one of them can be displayed transparently; for example, robot model 120 displaying the posture of robot 101 can be displayed transparently in the virtual environment.

Figure 5 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the control unit of the control device 102. The control unit is composed of a computer and includes an arithmetic unit 301 as the control unit. The arithmetic unit 301 is a CPU (Central Processing Unit), an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit), or an FPGA (Field-Programmable Gate Array). The control unit also includes a main memory device 303 such as a ROM (Read Only Memory) 302 or a RAM (Random Access Memory) as a storage unit. Basic programs such as the BIOS are stored in the ROM 302. The main memory device 303 is a storage device that temporarily stores various data, such as the results of the arithmetic processing of the arithmetic unit 301. The control unit also includes an auxiliary storage device 304 such as a hard disk drive (HDD) or a solid state drive (SSD) as a storage unit. The auxiliary storage device 304 stores the results of the arithmetic processing of the arithmetic device 301 and data acquired from the outside. The TP 103 also includes an interface (IF) 305.

The arithmetic unit 301 is connected to a ROM 302, a main memory 303, an auxiliary memory 304, and an IF 305 via a bus 310. An operation device such as an operation panel or TP 103, or a display device such as a display or lamp may be connected to the IF 305. The IF 305 may include an information input unit for inputting information to the control unit. The operation device is connected to the information input unit of the control unit by wired connection and/or wireless connection. By connecting the operation device to the control unit in this manner, the control unit can be operated by the operation device. The IF 305 may include an information output unit that outputs information to be displayed on the display device as a display means for displaying information on the display device. The information output unit may include a graphic controller or a microcomputer. By connecting the display device to the control unit in this manner, information is displayed on the display device.

The arithmetic device 301 executes various processes for the operation of the robot 101 based on the program 320 stored in the auxiliary storage device 304. As a result, the arithmetic device 301 issues a command to move the robot 101 to a desired position, that is, a command to transform the robot 101 into a desired posture. The position command data is output to the servo control unit 251 of the robot 101 via the bus 310 and IF 305 at a predetermined time interval.

When the robot 101 changes its posture, the computing device 301 issues a command to move the robot 101 to the desired position. Based on the position command to the robot 101, the servo control unit 251 outputs a current to a joint unit provided in the robot 101 and controls the drive of an electric motor such as the servo motor 211. By controlling the drive of the electric motor, it is possible to control the change in posture of the robot 101.

The control unit can change the posture of the robot 101 while changing the response characteristics to an external force applied to the robot 101. This makes it possible to control the robot 101 while reducing the load on motors such as the servo motor 211.

The control unit may include an object information processing unit 312, a data generation unit 313, a contact determination unit 314, and a posture change control unit 315. Inside the control unit, the object information processing unit 312, the contact determination unit 314, the data generation unit 313, and the posture change control unit 315 are connected to the IF 305. Note that at least one of the object information processing unit 312, the contact determination unit 314, and the posture change control unit 315 may also be provided in the robot 101. For example, the data generation unit 313 may also be provided in the joint unit.

The data generation unit 313 generates data (analog data or digital data) that can be handled by the contact determination unit 314 from a signal detected and output by a sensor that detects contact with the robot 101, and outputs the data to the contact determination unit 314. The value indicated by the data generated by the data generation unit 313 is a value corresponding to the physical quantity detected by the sensor that detects contact with the robot 101. The data generation unit 313 can also be called a contact detection unit.

The contact determination unit 314 can determine whether or not an object has come into contact with the robot 101 by analyzing the contact information output from the data generation unit 313, which is provided inside or outside the control unit.

The robot 101 and the control unit may be provided with an object detection sensor 311. The object detection sensor 311 is a sensor capable of detecting objects present around the robot 101. As the object detection sensor 311, various sensors such as an image sensor, a distance measurement sensor, an ultrasonic sensor, a radar sensor, etc. The distance measurement sensor may be a ToF (Time of Flight) type sensor. The object detection sensor 311 is connected to, for example, IF 305.

The object information processing unit 312 analyzes the object information output from the object detection sensor 311. This makes it possible to identify objects that exist within the movable area of the robot 101 and calculate the distance to the object.

The posture change control unit 315 controls posture changes based on data from the object information processing unit 312 about objects present in the movable area of the robot 101 and data from the contact determination unit 314 about the presence or absence of a contacting object.

The robot system 100 of this embodiment can detect contact of an object with the robot 101 using a contact detection sensor. The control unit can control the robot 101 based on the detection of this contact. The object detection sensor 311 can detect the presence of an object around the robot 101. The control unit can control the robot 101 based on the detection of the presence of an object. The detected object can also be displayed on the display unit 105 of the TP 103.

Figure 6 is a block diagram showing the configuration of TP103. The arithmetic unit 401, ROM 402, main memory 403, auxiliary memory 404, IF 405, and bus 410 have been explained in Figure 4 and will not be described here. If the control device 102 includes the arithmetic unit 401, ROM 402, main memory 403, and auxiliary memory 404, TP103 does not need to include these.

The display unit 105, judgment unit 130, and operation instruction unit 132 of TP103 are connected to IF405. The display unit 105 has a model display unit 107 that displays the virtual robot 106 in the virtual environment, and an operation confirmation unit 110 that confirms whether to give an operation instruction to the virtual robot 106 or the robot 101. The model display unit 107 acquires the state of the robot 101 and displays a model of the robot 101. Here, the posture of the robot 101 and the posture of the model of the robot 101 are the same.

The determination unit 130 is connected to an ESW state acquisition unit 131 that acquires the pressed state of the enable switch 104. The determination unit 130 judges whether to operate the robot 101 or the virtual robot 106 according to the pressed state of the enable switch 104 acquired by the ESW state acquisition unit 131. In this embodiment, the ESW state acquisition unit 131 is connected to the control device 102 via IF406, but if the enable switch 104 is directly connected to the TP103, it is not necessary to go through IF406.

The action instruction unit 132 acquires the state of the simulation model and gives a target position to the action transmission unit 133 to operate the robot 101. The action transmission unit 133 operates the robot 101 so that its posture is the same as that of the virtual robot 106 by transmitting the target position to the control device 102 via the IF 406. The IFs 405 and 406 are configured from communication devices such as Ethernet and USB.

In FIG. 6, TP103 is described as being connected to the control device 102 via IF406, but the software for TP103 may be configured within the control device 102.

Figure 7 is a diagram of the operation flow of the robot 101 according to this embodiment. In step S1, the ESW state acquisition unit 131 acquires the pressed state of the enable switch 104, and if the judgment unit 130 judges that the enable switch 104 is on, the process proceeds to step S2. In step S2, the robot 101 is in real mode, which is a state in which the robot 101 is operated, and a jog operation is performed on the real robot 101 based on the user's operation input, and the process ends.

If it is determined in S1 that the enable switch 104 is off, the process proceeds to step S3. In step S3, the process is in simulation mode (Sim mode), and the virtual robot 106 performs a jog operation based on the user's operation input. If the enable switch 104 is pressed after the operation in step S3 and the process proceeds to step S4, the process proceeds to step S5, where an operation check is performed.

In the operation check in step S5, the posture of the virtual robot 106 being simulated in the virtual environment is adjusted to match the posture of the robot 101, or the jogging operation of the robot 101 is started. Alternatively, the instruction of the enable switch 104 is canceled and the jogging operation of the virtual robot 106 is continued. Although not shown in FIG. 4, the posture of the virtual robot 106 may be synchronized with the posture of the robot 101. In step S4, mode switching may not be performed when the enable switch 104 transitions from the third stage to the second stage.

As described above, TP103 has an action instruction unit 132 and an action transmission unit 133 that switch between the jog action of the robot 101 and the jog action of the virtual robot 106 depending on the pressed state of the enable switch 104. Conventionally, when a mode change switch is provided in addition to the enable switch 104, in order to move the robot 101 from a state in which the virtual robot 106 is being moved, it is necessary to change the mode with the mode change switch and press the enable switch 104. Therefore, in this embodiment, it is configured so that the enable switch 104 can be used as a trigger to switch between a mode for moving the robot 101 and a mode for moving the virtual robot 106. This reduces the complexity of the mode change operation for the user and improves the operability of TP103.

The state in which the enable switch 104 is pressed indicates that the user wishes to operate the robot 101. Therefore, by using the enable switch 104 as a trigger to switch modes, it is possible to improve operability while ensuring the safety of the user.

As shown in FIG. 8(a), a mode switch 108 may be provided in addition to the enable switch 104, and a switch according to the application may be used. For example, as shown in FIG. 8(b), switching from the SIM mode to the real machine mode (S11→S12, S22→S23→S24) is performed by the enable switch 104. Switching from the real machine mode to the SIM mode (S12→S13→S14) may be performed by the mode change switch 108. In this case, when the mode is changed by the enable switch 104, the mode change switch 108 is also configured to automatically change to a mode for moving the robot 101.

As a result, switching to Sim mode is performed using the mode change switch 108, reducing the risk of accidentally operating the actual robot 101 by mistake, thinking it is Sim mode. Also, switching to real mode is performed using the enable switch 104, improving operability. In this way, switching from Sim mode to real mode is performed using the enable switch 104, and switching from real mode to Sim mode is performed using the mode change switch 108, which is different from the enable switch 104. In this way, operability can be improved while ensuring the safety of the user.

Below, we will explain modified examples that can further improve the operability of TP103. The operation flow shown in Figure 7 is controlled by the arithmetic unit 401 of TP103, but it may also be controlled by the arithmetic unit 301 of the control unit.

When the posture of the robot 101 and the posture of the virtual robot 106 are different, if the enable switch 104 is turned on, it is possible to confirm whether or not to give an operating instruction to the robot 101. The confirmation method may be a pop-up display as described below, or a confirmation by voice.

Also, as shown in FIG. 9, when the enable switch 104 is turned on, the posture of the virtual robot 106 may be set to automatically match the posture of the robot 101. When the enable switch 104 is switched from on to off, the posture of the virtual robot 106 can be synchronized with the posture of the robot 101.

As shown in FIG. 10, the posture of the robot 101 before the posture is changed can be displayed in the virtual environment by a dotted line, and the posture of the robot 101 during the posture change can be displayed in the virtual environment. In this case, when the enable switch 104 is released, the original posture of the robot 101 displayed by the dotted line can be automatically erased, and a pop-up (described later) can be displayed to ask whether or not to erase the original posture of the robot 101.

TP103 can perform operation confirmation such as a confirmation pop-up on the display unit 105 as shown in FIG. 11. The confirmation pop-up is controlled by the operation confirmation unit 110 in FIG. 6, and is composed of buttons 110A, 110B, and 110C. When button 110A is pressed, the posture of the robot 101 is synchronized with the posture of the virtual robot 106 during simulation. When button 110B is pressed, the posture of the virtual robot 106 in the virtual environment is aligned with the posture of the robot 101. When button 110C is pressed, the operation instruction to the robot 101 is canceled, and the jog operation during the simulation continues. The confirmation pop-up is not limited to one that gives operation instructions to either the robot 101 or the virtual robot 106, but can also be set arbitrarily by the user.

As shown in FIG. 12, a speaker 111 and a microphone 112 mounted on the TP 103 can be used to give operational instructions to the robot 101 or the virtual robot 106 in the virtual environment. Operational instructions can be given by asking, for example, the content explained in FIG. 11 by voice, such as whether to operate the actual machine at the model's position or to import the position of the actual machine into the model, and the instructed operation can be carried out. Here, the actual machine refers to the robot 101. As described above, by confirming with a display on the screen or by voice, it is possible to prompt the user to operate when changing modes, and to operate without erroneous operations or errors.

In addition, the posture of the robot 101 before the posture change can be displayed in the virtual environment with a dotted line, and the posture of the robot 101 during the posture change can be displayed in the virtual environment.

The above-described embodiments can be modified as appropriate without departing from the technical concept. For example, multiple embodiments and their modified examples can be combined. In addition, some aspects of at least one embodiment can be deleted or replaced.

In addition, new matters may be added to at least one embodiment. The disclosure of this specification includes not only what is explicitly described in this specification, but also all matters that can be understood from this specification and the drawings attached to this specification.

The processing procedures executed by the control unit in the above-described embodiments are specifically executed by the arithmetic device 301. Therefore, it is also possible to configure the device to read and execute a recording medium on which a software program capable of executing the above-described functions is recorded. In this case, the program itself read from the recording medium will realize the functions of each of the above-described embodiments, and the program itself and the recording medium on which the program is recorded constitute the present invention.

In addition, in each embodiment, the computer-readable recording medium is each ROM, each RAM, or each flash ROM, and the program is stored in the ROM, RAM, or flash ROM. However, the present invention is not limited to such an embodiment. The program for implementing the present invention may be recorded in any recording medium as long as it is a computer-readable recording medium. For example, a HDD (or SSD), an external storage device, a recording disk, etc. may be used as a recording medium for supplying the control program.

In addition, in the various embodiments described above, a multi-joint robot arm having multiple joints is used, but the number of joints is not limited to this. A vertical multi-axis configuration is shown as the type of robot arm, but a configuration equivalent to the above can also be implemented with different types of joints, such as a horizontal multi-joint type, a parallel link type, or an orthogonal robot.

The various embodiments described above can also be applied to machines that can automatically perform movements such as stretching, bending, moving up and down, moving left and right, or rotating, or a combination of these movements, based on information stored in a storage device provided in the control device.

Other Examples
The present invention can also be realized by a process in which a program for implementing one or more of the functions of the above-described embodiments is supplied to a system or device via a network or a storage medium, and one or more processors in a computer of the system or device read and execute the program. The present invention can also be realized by a circuit (e.g., ASIC) that implements one or more of the functions.

The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and many modifications are possible within the technical concept of the present invention. The effects described in the embodiments of the present invention are merely a list of the most favorable effects resulting from the present invention, and the effects of the present invention are not limited to those described in the embodiments of the present invention. The various embodiments and modifications described above may be combined and implemented.

The following is the disclosure of the present invention:

(Configuration 1) An operation device capable of communicating with a robot controller that controls a robot and acquiring the pressed state of an enable switch, which displays a virtual robot corresponding to the robot in a virtual environment and allows the robot or the virtual robot to be operated by operating the operation device, has a determination unit that determines the pressed state of the enable switch, and has a processing unit that can instruct switching between a state of operating the robot and a state of operating the virtual robot depending on the determination of the pressed state of the enable switch by the determination unit.

(Configuration 2) The operating device described in Configuration 1, characterized in that when the enable switch is on, the robot operates, and when the enable switch is off, the virtual robot operates.

(Configuration 3) The operating device described in configuration 1 or 2, characterized in that when the posture of the virtual robot and the posture of the robot deviate from each other, the operating device checks whether to give an operation instruction when the enable switch is pressed.

(Configuration 4) The operation device described in any one of configurations 1 to 3, characterized in that a confirmation pop-up is displayed on the screen of the operation terminal to prompt the user whether or not to give an operation instruction to either the robot or the virtual robot.

(Configuration 5) An operating device according to any one of configurations 1 to 4, characterized in that an operation instruction is given to either the robot or the virtual robot by voice.

(Configuration 6) The operating device described in any one of configurations 1 to 5, characterized in that when the virtual robot operates, a model of the robot is displayed in the virtual environment.

(Configuration 7) The operating device described in any one of configurations 1 to 6, characterized in that the robot model is displayed transparently.

(Configuration 8) The operating device described in any one of configurations 1 to 7, characterized in that when the robot moves, the virtual robot is displayed in synchronization with the posture of the robot.

(Configuration 9) The operating device described in any one of configurations 1 to 8, characterized in that when the enable switch is switched from on to off, the virtual robot is synchronized with the posture of the robot.

(Configuration 10) The operation device according to any one of configurations 1 to 9, characterized in that the virtual environment is displayed on a screen of the operation device.

(Configuration 11) The operating device described in any one of configurations 1 to 10, characterized in that the enable switch is a three-position switch.

(Configuration 12) The operating device described in any one of configurations 1 to 11, characterized in that the enable switch is provided as an independent device.

(Configuration 13) A mode changeover switch different from the enable switch is provided, which can change between a state of operating the robot and a state of operating the virtual robot,
The operating device described in any one of configurations 1 to 12, characterized in that the processing unit switches from a state of operating the virtual robot to a state of operating the robot by the enable switch, and switches from a state of operating the robot to a state of operating the virtual robot by the mode switching switch.

(Configuration 14) The operating device described in any one of configurations 1 to 13, characterized in that when the robot operates, the posture of the robot at the start of its movement is displayed with a dotted line.

(Configuration 15) The operating device described in Configuration 14, characterized in that when the robot operates, the dotted line and the posture of the robot during movement are displayed.

(System 1) A robot system comprising the operation device described in any one of configurations 1 to 15 and the robot.

(Method 1) A method for manufacturing an article using the robot system described in System 1.

(Method 2) A manufacturing method characterized by having a process in which a robot operated by the operating device described in any one of configurations 1 to 15 and an article manufacturer cooperate to manufacture an article.

(Method 3) A control method for an operating device that operates a robot, the control method comprising: displaying a virtual robot corresponding to the robot in a virtual environment; operating the operating device to operate the robot or the virtual robot; having a determination unit that determines the pressed state of an enable switch; and switching between a state of operating the robot and a state of operating the virtual robot depending on the determination by the determination unit of the pressed state of the enable switch.

(Method 4) A method for controlling a robot system, which controls the robot of the robot system described in System 1 according to instructions from the operating device.

(Program 1) A control program for causing a computer to execute the control method described in Method 3 or 4.

(Medium 1) A computer-readable recording medium on which the control program described in Program 1 is recorded.

REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 101 Robot 102 Robot controller 103 Operation device 104 Enable switch 130 Determination unit 132 Processing unit

Claims (22)

An operation device capable of communicating with a robot controller that controls a robot and acquiring a pressing state of an enable switch,
displaying a virtual robot corresponding to said robot in a virtual environment;
The robot or the virtual robot can be operated by operating the operation device,
A determination unit that determines a pressed state of the enable switch,
An operating device characterized by having a processing unit that can instruct switching between a state of operating the robot and a state of operating the virtual robot in accordance with a determination by the determination unit of the pressed state of the enable switch. When the enable switch is on, the robot operates;
2. The operating device according to claim 1, wherein the virtual robot operates when the enable switch is off. The operating device according to claim 1, characterized in that when the posture of the virtual robot and the posture of the robot deviate from each other, the operating device confirms whether to give an operation instruction when the enable switch is pressed. The operation device according to claim 1, characterized in that a confirmation pop-up is displayed on the screen of the operation device, prompting the user to decide whether or not to give an operation instruction to either the robot or the virtual robot. The operating device according to claim 1, characterized in that it gives operation instructions to either the robot or the virtual robot by voice. The operating device according to claim 1, characterized in that when the virtual robot operates, a model of the robot is displayed in the virtual environment. The operating device according to claim 6, characterized in that the robot model is displayed transparently. The operating device according to claim 1, characterized in that when the robot moves, the virtual robot is displayed in synchronization with the posture of the robot. The operating device according to claim 1, characterized in that when the enable switch is switched from on to off, the virtual robot is synchronized with the posture of the robot. The operating device according to claim 1, characterized in that the virtual environment is displayed on a screen of the operating device. The operating device according to claim 1, characterized in that the enable switch is a three-position switch. The operating device according to claim 1, characterized in that the enable switch is provided as an independent device. a mode changeover switch different from the enable switch, capable of changing between a state of operating the robot and a state of operating the virtual robot;
The processing unit,
switching from a state of operating the virtual robot to a state of operating the robot by the enable switch, and switching from a state of operating the robot to a state of operating the virtual robot by the mode changeover switch;
2. The operating device according to claim 1 . The operating device according to claim 1, characterized in that when the robot operates, the posture of the robot at the start of its movement is displayed with a dotted line. The operating device according to claim 14, characterized in that the dotted line and the posture of the robot during movement are displayed when the robot operates. An operating device according to any one of claims 1 to 15;
The robot comprises:
A robot system comprising: A method for manufacturing an article using the robot system according to claim 16. A manufacturing method comprising a step in which a robot operated by the operating device according to any one of claims 1 to 15 and an article manufacturer cooperate to manufacture an article. A control method for an operating device that operates a robot, comprising:
displaying a virtual robot corresponding to said robot in a virtual environment;
The robot or the virtual robot can be operated by operating the operation device,
A determination unit that determines whether an enable switch is pressed down,
a control method comprising: switching between a state of operating the robot and a state of operating the virtual robot in response to a determination by the determination unit of a pressed-down state of the enable switch. A method for controlling a robot system according to claim 16, which controls the robot of the robot system according to an instruction from the operating device. A control program for causing a computer to execute the control method according to claim 19. A computer-readable recording medium having the control program according to claim 21 recorded thereon.

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